Variable-speed transmission



DCC. 14, 1948., N, s, TRQUT, JR `2,456,600

VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 4, 1947 INVENTOR. W1TN5ss."

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 VARIABLE-SPEED TRANSMISSION Norwood S. Trout, Jr., Elmira/Nl. Y., assigner to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Elmira Heights, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware I Appucstion February 4, 1947, serial No. 726,412

The present invention relates to a variable speed transmission for washing machines and the.

like, and more particularly to a transmission arranged to operate selectively at either of -two forward speeds or in the reverse direction.

It is an object of the present invention to prov vide a novel variable speed transmission, which is eflicient and reliable in operation `while being simple and economical in construction.

It is another object to provide such a device incorporating a low speed forward drive which automatically engages when the transmission is.

driven forward, a high speed forward drive which, when engaged, causes the low speed drive to overrun, and a driving connection which overruns in 1 forward direction, but engages automatically when the transmission is rotated backward.

It is another obje-ct to provide such a, device in which the reverse drive is at the low speed ratio.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the reverse drive incorporates an overrunning clutch and means to prevent the engagement of the overrunning clutch when the transmission is rotating forward at either high or low speed.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in .connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig, 1 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section of a transmission constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a second embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the drag ring for the reverse drive clutch.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a drive shaft I to which a stub shaft 2 is slidably coupled by means of a spline sleeve 3. A high speed drive gear 5 is journalled on sleeve 3, and clutch means for connecting the high speed gear to the drive shaft are provided including a housing 6 fixed to the high speed gear and'discs 7 and 8 splined alternately to the housing and the coupling sleeve 3. The stub shaft 2 has a low speed drive pinion 9 formed thereon providing a thrust shoulder I'Il for applying pressure to the end of the sleeve 3, and means are provided for moving the stub shaft longitudinally to the left in order to compress the clutch discs.

The means for actuating the high speed clutch Is assigned tothe assignee of the present application and reference to said disclosure is made for a :omplete disclosure thereof.

A driven shaft il is mounted parallel to the iriveshaft land has a driven high speed pinion more fully disclosed in the Patent 2,172,780 f 8 Claims. (Cl. 'i4- 368) I I3 keyed thereon.V A low speed gear I2 is jour'- nalled on the driven shaft, and a self-tightening overrunning clutch means is provided for connecting the low speed gear to the driven shaft, comprising a screw shaft I4 keyed to the driven shaft, a clutch plate I5 threadedon'the screw shaft, and a friction dragring IB, bearingon'theperiphery of the clutch plate and anchoedon a pin II fixed on the adjacent side of thelowspeed gear I2.

In addition to the self-tightening clutch connection described for rotating the driven shaft II in a forward direction by the low speed gear .I-2,'a

second self-tightening connection is provided lforrotating the driven shaft backwardwhen the transmission is rotated in a reverse direction. The reverse drive comprises a clutch member I8, fixed on the driven shaft II, a` screw shaft'I9 journalled on the driven nected to rotate with the driven low speed gear= I2 as by means of engaging lugs and recesses 2i, 22 respectively, and a driving clutch member 23 threaded on screw shaft i9 for movement into and out of frictional engagement with the driven clutch member It. A drag ring 24 is seated frictionally in a driving clutch member 23 and has terminal abutments 2t adapted to engage an anchor pin 2'I viixedin the housing for the gearing, a fragment of which is illustrated at 28.

It will be understood that the screw shaft I4 is threaded in such a direction that rotation of the clutch plat-e I5 in a forward direction on the screw shaft will cause said plate to engage the adjacent side of the driven low speed gear I2.

The screw shaft I9 is similarly threaded so that when it is rotated in a reverse direction with respect to the driving clutch member 23, it will move that clutch member into engagement with the driven clutch member I'B, and thereby connect the driven low speed gear I2 to the driven shaft il during reverse rotation of the transmission.

In the operation of this transmission, as a washing machine drive, low speed operation of the washing machine mechanism is accomplished by rotation of the drive shaft I inthe direction of the arrow a. The rotation of the drive shaft is transmitted through the sleeve 3 to the stub shaft 2 and low speed drive pinion 9 which rotation turns the low speed driven gear I2 in the direction of the arrow b. The drag ring I6 is thus rotated by means of pin I'l and threads the clutch plate I5 along the screw shaft I4 into engagement with the low speed gear I2, whereby the driven shaft and rigidly con-.-

groove 25 in the periphery of the- 'the low speed gear l shaft I I yis connected to rotate with said low speed gear.

During this time, the driving clutch member 23 is retarded slightly by the drag ring 24 whereby it is held out of engagement with the driven clutch member I8, such traversal being. insured by the retarding action of the drag ring 24 on the driving clutch member.

Closure of the'clutch I8, 23 connects the driven gear I2 to the driven shaft I I which is accordingly rotated backward by the reverse. rotation of the drive shaft I.

When it is desired to rotate the washing machine mechanism at high speed, the drive shaft l is rotated in a forward direction and the high speed clutch E, 1, 8 is closed by endwise pressure applied from the stub shaft 2 .to the high speed drive gear 5. The latter is thereby clutched to the drive shaft I and thereby rotates .the high speed driven pinion mounted at high speed. During Ithis .time the low speed forward drive clutch I5, I2 overruns, since the screw shaft I4 is 4rotating more rapidly than I2, and the drag ring I6 accordingly has a retarding effect on clutch plate I5 which traverses it to the left away from the driven gear I2. The self-tightening clutch I8, 23 also overruns inasmuch as the drag ring 24 retards the driving' clutch member 23 causing it to be traversed a'way from the driven clutch member I8 on the -lscrew shaft I9 which is rotating forwardly at low speed.

. -Itwill be understood that the drag ring I6 is .preferably applied to clutch plate I5 in such a way j .that during overrunning, the ring tends to open up--and reduce the frictional drag on said clutch plate. When .the drag ring I6 is effective to close on the screw shaft away from the driven clutch member I8. Upon reverse rotation of thevscrew shaft, however, the retardation of the driving clutch member by the weight 32 causes the driving clutch member to traverse on engagement with the driven clutch member I8. Such engagement is preferably assisted by the drag ring 24 which is positioned to engage .the pin 3I on the driven clutch member I8 prior to the engagement of the clutch members.

It will be understood that the drag ring 24 may be omitted in the second embodiment of the invention if so desired, although it is preferred to employ the drag ring in order to provide a more positive control of the clutch. f

Although but two embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes may be made in :the design journalled thereon,

I3 and the driven shaft II on which it is theclutch, the wrapping-down effect of the drag ring increases its effectiveness in securing closure of the clutch. Sincedrag ring 24 slips on the clutch member 23 yduring'rotation of the transmission in either direction, it is preferably formed with the abutments 26 for alterna-tively engaging the anchor pin 21 so that the ring tends to open up in either direction of rotation.

The transmission illustrated in Fig. 2 is substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except for the means for controlling the reverse `drive clutch, and the corresponding parts are similarly numbered. In this embodiment, the drag ring 24 for the reverse drive clutch is not anchored to the casing but a pin 3| is mounted on the driven clutch member I8 in position Ato engage an abutment 26 of the drag ring 24 when the driving clutch m ber 23 approaches the driven clutch member I8. In order -to control the position of the driving clutch member on the screw shaft I9, a Weight member 32 is mounted eccentrically on the driving clutch member which weight'member tends to make the clutch member lag behind the rotation of the screw shaft on which it is threaded.

When the screw shaft I9 is rotated forwardly, this tendency of the driving clutch member to lag behind causes .the clutch member to be traversed and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. variable speed transmission, a drive shaft arranged to be rotated either forward or backward by a source ahigh speed clutch for connecting the high speed gear to rotate with the drive shaft, a low speed pinion connected to rotate with the drive shaft, a driven shaft, a high speed pinion fixed thereon meshing with the high speed gear, a low speed .gear journalled on the driven'shaft meshing with the low speed pinion, a self-tightening clutch between the low speed gear and driven shaft arranged to transmit forward rotation of the low speed gear to the driven shaft, and means including a reversely acting self-tightening clutch for connecting the low speed gear to rotate the driven shaft when the low speed gear is rotated backward by the drive shaft, both said self-tightening clutches being arranged to overrun freely when the driven shaft is rotating forwardly at high speed by closure of the high speed clutch.

2. A variable speed transmission as set forth in claim 1, said reversely acting self-tightening clutch including means for holding the clutch open while the parts of theclutch are rotating forwardly, said means frictionally initiating engagement of the clutch members on reverse rotation thereof.

3. A variable speed transmission as set forth in claim 1, in which the reversely acting selftightening clutch includes a. driven clutch member fixed on the driven shaft, a screw shaft connected to rotate with the low speed gear, a driving clutch member threaded on the screw shaft for longitudinal movement in-to and out of engagement with the driven clutch member, and means causing the driving clutch member to thread itself along .the screw shaft into engagement with the driven clutch member when the screw shaft rotates backward. l

4. A variable speed transmission as set forth in claim 3, YAin which the last mentioned means includes a non-rotatable member bearing frictionally on the driving clutch member.

5. In a variable speed gear transmission, a driving shaft arranged to be rotated either forward or backward by a source of power, a high speed gear, agnormally open clutch adapted when closed to connect the high speed gear to the driving shaft, a low speed pinion connected to rotate with the driving shaft, a driven shaft, a high speed pinion fixed thereon meshing with the high thescrew shaft into of power, a high speed gear pinion,

rotation and arranged to release and allow thev driven shaft to overrun when the driven shaft is rotated forwardly at high speed by closure of the high speed clutch, a second self-tightening clutch for connecting the low speed gear to the driven shaft, and means for holding open the last named clutch while the low speed gear is rotating for-- wardly, and for closing the same when the low speed gear is rotated backward by the drive shaft.

6. A variable speed transmission asset forth in claim 5, in which the 'second vself-.tightening clutchincludes a driven clutch member xed on the driven shaft, a screw shaft connected to rotate with the low speed gear, member threaded on the screw shaft for movement into and out of engagement with the driven clutch member and a non-rotatable drag member bearing frictionally on the driving clutch member.

7. A variable speed transmission as set forth in claim 5, in which said last named means includes a drag member mounted on the driving yclutch member and bearing frictionally thereon, and

a driving clutch 20 Number 25 Number means on the driven clutch member to engage the drag'member when the driving clutch member approaches the driven clutch member.

8. A variable speed transmission as set forth in claim 5, in which the second self-tightening clutch includes a driven clutch member xed on the driven shaft, a screw shaft connected to rotate with the low speed gear, a driving clutch member threaded on the screw shaft for movement into and out of engagement with the driven clutch member and an eccentrically mounted weight l'.

member on the driving clutch member. i

NORWOOD S. TROUT, JR.`

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin 'the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS country Date Germany Nov. 21, 1914 

